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A request to change the name of a dedicated street within the City of Austin full purpose jurisdiction can be initiated by a City Council member, city department, or by a property owner with property abutting the street to be renamed. The street name change process involves submittal of an application, payment of a non-refundable processing fee, property owner and governmental entity notifications, and approval from the Austin City Council in the form of an ordinance.

In order to bring a street name change request before Council, the following requirements must be met (per City Code 14-5):

Applicant must own property abutting the street they wish to rename or enlist the support of a City Council member to sponsor the naming.

The applicant must send a completed street name change application form and payment of the $415.00 non-refundable processing fee* to:

The applicant must contact all affected property owners for their signature agreement to the proposed street name change. An affected property owner is any property owner who owns property that abuts the right of way proposed for renaming. Contact can be made using the property owners information and mailing address of record from the Travis County ad valorem tax rolls.

Unless it is initiated by a Council member, the case cannot be brought before Council or set for a public hearing until more than 50% of the property owners respond with their signature of agreement.

If 100% of the property owners respond in agreement – there is no requirement for public hearing.

If less than 100% respond with their agreement – a public hearing will be required.

If one or more property owners object to the renaming – a public hearing is required.

Once more than 50% of the property agreement forms are signed indicating agreement and all signed property agreement forms have been provided to the Austin Transportation Department Street Name Change Coordinator the internal reviews may begin.

Concur reviews from eight agencies & departments are distributed for review. All reviewers must return signature agreements with the proposed street name change. If any of the three emergency services disagrees with the street name change (APD, AFD, EMS) the case is closed without being brought before Council.

Once the field notes for the street name change have been collected from the Public Works Engineers (used to legally describe the extent of the street to be renamed) the Request for Council Action can be submitted to place the item on the Council’s Agenda.

Council reviews the request and the ordinance changing the street name is either denied or approved.

If denied, the case is closed without further action

If approved, the street name change is final upon ordinance signature of the Mayor and recordation with the City Clerk. The applicant assumes responsibility for expenses incurred for sign replacement and will be billed for the cost of sign replacement. The Austin Transportation Department will be notified, after the ordinance has been signed, to begin replacing the affected street signs. Notifications will be sent out to all affected property owners advising them of the street name change and to approximately 30 agencies and city departments who are affected by the name change.